Restoration
by LoveShinobi-Angelv
Summary: AU. A story of how a patient drives his nurse insane in his attempt to woo her. Sanosuke x Talia Note: An OC Story
1. Calamity

**Restoration**

_Chapter One_

-Calamity-

"Yes Mr. Higurashi, all of the paperwork is done. Now all that's left is for us to meet and discuss the terms of the contract before signing." A dark haired man said as he drove down the streets of Los Angeles. Sharp, forest green eyes took in the signs on the road, and he put on his blinker, changing lanes to make sure that he didn't miss his turn. He sighed, running a hand through his somewhat spiky black hair. "Of course, I am fully aware that things are busy this time of year in Tokyo. If you are unable to fly out here and meet, then we can talk through video chat like we did a few months ago."

His Bluetooth beeped in his ear, signaling he had another call. He picked up his phone and glanced at it, frowning when he saw it was his mother. What could she possibly want now? "I'm sorry Mr. Higurashi, I'm going to have to call you back. I'm expecting a call from my attorney at three, and it is now two fifty-eight." He quickly hung up on the older man and answered the other call.

"Hello mother." The Uchiha said, holding in a sigh as he entered a housing division. "Yes, I know, I'm running late. Something came up at work…yes…I know…I'm not working too hard, there's just some important deals going on right now." He huffed, pressing on the gas to go faster. "No, I'm not using a tone. I just…but you don't…but mom…yes ma'am." He sighed this time. And to think, she couldn't wait until he arrived at her house to chew him out and make him feel like a child again. She had to do it over the phone. Who cared if he was late to his grandfather's birthday party? It's not like the elder Uchiha wanted to celebrate it anyways.

"I'm on Rosemeade, I'll be there in five minutes. I promise." He said, hanging up the phone once the pink haired woman had bid him farewell.

Suddenly his car was rammed from the passenger side and it spun, jarring the Uchiha and causing his airbags to deploy, hitting him in the face. When the movement finally stopped, Sanosuke groaned, looking around in an attempt to reorient himself. He saw the car that had hit him was partially wrapped around a streetlight pole, smoke coming out from under the hood. He shoved the airbag out of the way and unbuckled, ignoring the protests of his muscles, which had tensed upon impact, and opened his car door, stretching his left leg out so that he could get out.

What he wasn't expecting was for another car to hit his open door. The impact on the door made it break off the car, and Sanosuke let out an agonized cry as pain shot up his leg. He looked down at it, and through a hole in his black slacks, he could see a bone sticking out. At the moment he couldn't recall which one it probably was, but that didn't matter. His leg might as well have been amputated he was in so much pain.

Unable to move his left leg, Sanosuke turned and reached out with a shaky hand, trying to grab his phone. He picked it up and pressed the speed dial for his mother, knowing she would call the best ambulances from the hospital she worked at to come to the scene. As he brought the phone to his ear his body was wracked with spasms, making him drop the device. He cursed as he watched it fall between his seat and console, and reached down to grab it.

His mother's voice entered the other line then. "M…mom…I'm at the intersection of Rosemeade and Riverfall. I've been in an a-ah!" he shouted in agony as his car was hit once more by a driver that wasn't paying attention and speeding down the street. But this time the passenger side was hit once more, crushing the seats even closer together, and his hand along with it. His breathing began to become labored as the edges of his vision turned black. It was nearly impossible for him to handle this much pain at the same time.

"Help…" the Uchiha managed to mutter. Then the world closed in on him, and everything became a blur, drowned out by the sound of his mother's shouts in his ear.

* * *

Sanosuke opened his eyes with a bit of difficulty and looked around the room. He was in the hospital, and judging by the color scheme, it was the one his younger brother headed. Figures. They would only want the best for him, after all. He could barely even remember everything that had happened. All that came to mind when he thought about it was pain and loud noises.

He moved to sit up, but something in his back pulled before he could even lift his head, making him let out a noise of pain. When he tried to move his head to better see his condition, he realized it was being held in place by a neck brace. A grimace came to his face and he cursed. What the fuck had happened to him?

Just then the door opened, and Sanosuke was just barely able to slide his deep green gaze to the left to meet the matching one of his brother, Hayate. The young Uchiha was dressed in dark blue scrubs and a white lab coat, his ebony hair spiked slightly with his bangs hanging over his eyes and on the sides of his face. He was holding a clipboard in his hands, and greeted his elder with a smile. "Sano, I'm so glad to see that you're awake. I was afraid you'd be out for a few more days. Mom and everyone else will be pleased to hear this."

"What happened." Sanosuke demanded, not in the mood for small talk of the family. He knew Hayate was just trying to relax him and make him feel more comfortable with his situation, but there was no way that was going to happen.

Hayate blinked. "Well, you were in a pretty bad accident-"

"I know about the accident Hayate! I was there!" he shouted, glaring angrily up at the younger Uchiha.

"Alright, alright, calm down." Hayate said, holding his hands up in a placating manner. "Look, all we can figure is that as you were driving, someone ran the stop sign at the intersection and collided with your car. Then, coming from the opposite direction from you was someone else going thirty-five. And when they rounded the corner it was too late for them to stop without colliding with your car. A couple minutes later a fourth car joined the scene, ramming into yours and trapping your right hand between the seat and the console." The Uchiha said.

Everything slowly began to come back to Sanosuke as he absorbed his brother's words. He glared at nothing in particular. The idiot that ran the stop sign and hit him was going to pay dearly for this. "Just tell me what's wrong with me. Why can't I move?"

Hayate sighed, a sad look coming to his eyes. "You broke your left leg and nearly shattered your right hand. Your spine and neck were traumatized, and you're lucky that neither broke. We put your torso in a body cast and a brace on your neck. You have a slight concussion, so no overexerting yourself. Though with everything else…I don't think that's possible." He shrugged.

Sanosuke's teeth clenched as he fixed his gaze on a ceiling tile. This wasn't good. "And…how long until I'm better?"

"Your leg will take the longest, and should heal in about three to six months, depending on the x-rays we take every month when you get a new cast, and as for the body cast and neck brace, they will have to be on for about three to six weeks. And you can only take off the brace when one of the nurses comes in to clean it. Your right hand will take anywhere from three to eight weeks, and again I won't be able to tell until we remove the cast in a month to put on a new one. That way we can get a look at how well you're healing." he informed his brother. "But I don't want you working for at least two months, until the body cast is off and you have more mobility. So until then, I want you to remain in bed."

The Uchiha glared up at him. "What?! Two months?! Who the fuck is going to do my job?! I have things to do Hayate, important meetings set up. I can't just disappear from the office for that long."

Hayate smiled slightly. "Well dad and Kanamé have decided to pick up your work until you can return, and Nori is handling your meeting with Mr. Higurashi." He said happily. "So you don't have anything to worry about."

He scoffed. So basically he was going to have to trust his family to do his job while he was incapacitated. And he just knew his older brother was going to shove this whole thing in his face eventually. "So they all know? About my condition?"

"Yes." Hayate nodded. "Mom was freaking out when she heard the impact that injured your hand, and even rode in the ambulance with you to help me fix you up. And since everyone was gathered for grandfather's party anyways…the whole family knows."

Sanosuke groaned. This sucked. Then his eyes widened slightly. If they all knew, and were so close, then they had probably seen him get pulled from his car. That thought alone was enough to make him wonder what his appearance was now. "Hayate…hold up a mirror and let me see myself." He said, sounding oddly calm about the order.

Hayate gave him an unsure look. "I don't think that's a good-"

"Just do it!" he said, raising his voice. His younger brother nodded going over and grabbing one of the large hand mirrors they kept in the rooms. He came back and held it over Sanosuke, letting him slowly take it all in.

He looked like hell. His lip was busted open, probably from his stupid airbag, and he had a large bruise on his jaw. The neck brace was ugly and white, the body cast not much better. He'd been changed into a pair of pajama bottoms, knowing that that was probably his mother's doing. His right hand was in a plain white cast and put in a sling against his chest, and he was sporting a matching one on his left leg. His gaze hardened. So not only did he feel like shit, but he looked it as well.

"Get out." he said, looking away from his brother and wanting to be alone. He didn't want him, or anybody that he cared about, to see him this way.

"What?" Hayate blinked, taken off guard. "But Sano, I have to check your-"

"Out!" Sanosuke shouted, making his brother jump and fumble with the clipboard.

"Alright. I'll be back in a little while to check on you." Hayate told him, setting down his clipboard and leaving the room.

Sanosuke glared and let out a sigh, wincing as even that simple action hurt his chest. He hoped it was a long while before anyone came back into his room. Because the next person to walk through that door was going to suffer the brunt of his sudden anger at his situation.

* * *

Hayate stood in front of the door to his older brother's room and gave all of his family members a serious look. "Okay, just because he's awake doesn't mean you can all suffocate him. He needs to get lots of rest, so this visit can't last too long. So when I say it's time to go and give him some space, it's time to go." he said. "Also, he's been very…moody, since waking up, and I didn't tell him you were all coming. So just be warned that it might only upset him even more." He told them. "Understood?"

"You act as if we're going to cause some big scene Hayate." A dark haired woman scoffed, walking into the room. She was slender and beautiful, her midnight black hair stopping just past her rear. Her jade depths were full of worry, and when she saw her brother in his worst, she gasped and ran over to him. "Sano! You look terrible! Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Would you like me to get you some pudding or something?" she cried out, tearing up from merely the sight.

Sanosuke tried not to glare at his sister. "No, I'm not okay. Everything hurts, and no, I don't want pudding." He said.

"Izayoi." A pink haired woman scolded as she walked up to the bed. It was obvious despite the pink hair that she was the girl's mother, for they looked too similar to be anything else. Natsumi sighed and stopped by her son's bed, stroking his cheek carefully. "How are you feeling Sanosuke? Short of breath? Nothing wrong that you think you shouldn't be feeling, correct?"

"I'm fine." He said, looking off to the best of his ability. His brow furrowed slightly and he returned his gaze to his mother's jade one. "I'm sorry…that you had to hear that on the phone." He said softly, only imaging how badly his painful cry must have scared her.

He saw the tears that gathered in her eyes for a moment, but she quickly pushed them away. "It's okay sweetheart. You're safe and that's all that matters. You'll heal in time and nothing important was completely shattered." She smiled, kissing the top of his head.

"I can't help but think how funny this is." Someone chuckled. Two men who looked nearly identical, even to Izayoi, came up, though the one who spoke was fiercer looking than the other. "Careful Sanosuke, yapping away on the phone like a chatty Kathy." He snickered.

"Noriaki." The other huffed, hitting his brother over the head. "Stop being a jerk."

Sanosuke glared at his older brother. "I wasn't on the phone when it happened, nor was that the reason for the crash." He snapped. "Idiot."

"Now, now." Noriaki smirked. "Who's the one in the ugly body cast? And if you want me to do your job for you, you better be a lot nicer than that."

"I _don't_ want you to do my job." Sanosuke said, reaching over with his left hand and gripping the small rail on his bed for support. "I am perfectly capable of going to-" he hissed and grit his teeth as pain shot down his back when he tried to sit up. But instead of falling back the few inches to the mattress, he was going to keep pushing himself.

"Sano!" Hayate reprimanded, rushing around to the other side of the bed and placing his hand on his brother's chest, pushing him back down with ease. "I told you not to overexert yourself. You won't be able to get up without assistance for a while now, so don't try it again." He looked up at Noriaki then. "Quit teasing him Nori, you're only making it worse."

Natsumi glared back at her son before focusing back on Sanosuke. "If you do not abide by Hayate's rules Sanosuke it will take even_longer_ to heal, and you will be bedridden for an indefinite amount of time. Do you understand?"

The injured Uchiha pouted slightly. "…yes."

"Just get him a cute nurse." Another voice said as an ebony haired man entered the room and wrapped an arm around Natsumi's waist. He looked like an older version of Hayate, and it was clear that he was the father of the group of Uchihas. "If he has something nice to look at every day, I bet he'll be more willing to stay in bed." he smirked. "And she can give him sponge baths."

"Daddy!" Izayoi gasped. "That so prejudice! Using a woman like that."

"What?" Akito asked, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. "I'm just offering a way that will help him enjoy his stay a bit more. You know…like a silver lining."

Natsumi sighed. "Well anyways, Sanosuke we hope you get well soon. I'll come visit you as soon as I can. Is there anything you need?"

Hayate held up a finger. "That isn't related to work." He added, knowing his older brother.

Sanosuke sighed. "I guess just get me a new cell phone, since mine was destroyed. There's really nothing else that I need."

"I can handle that." Izayoi smiled, kissing her brother's cheek before leaving with her other brothers.

"Try and cheer up Sano. Negative attitudes don't help people get better. At least, that's what your mom says to me all the time." Akito smiled slightly, placing his hand on his son's shoulder.

"I don't see myself smiling any time soon dad." Sanosuke said.

The door to the room opened then and along with it a beautiful voice rang out. "It's time for some blood work!" a gorgeous blonde called, stopping in the doorway, a bright smile on her face. She was a short, thin woman, dressed in navy blue scrubs as well. Her long blonde locks were pulled back in a thick braid that stopped just past her hips. She looked around and blinked, her amber gaze somewhat surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know your family was still here Doctor Hayate."

Hayate smiled at her. "It's okay Talia, you can come on in and meet everyone." He said, gesturing for her to enter. When she stopped next to him he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Mom, Dad, this is Talia, my head nurse. She's going to be the one looking after Sano while he's here. Talia, these are my parents, Uchiha Akito and Uchiha Natsumi." He said happily, introducing them.

She waved back, smiling once more. "It's an honor to meet you two. Hayate has told me lots about you."

Natsumi only squealed, lacing her hands together. "Hayate she's just adorable! You have such a cute head nurse. Mine's an old hag and just plain mean." She huffed.

Talia laughed, bowing her head a bit. "Thank you Mrs. Uchiha."

"And we can still go along with my plan!" Akito said, earning a hit from his wife. "Ow…" he muttered, rubbing his head.

Sanosuke tried not to let his irritation show on his face. Everyone was talking, but the only people he could see were his parents, and that was just barely. "You know, just because I'm lying here injured doesn't mean I no longer exist." He said a bit testily.

Hayate gasped. "Sorry Sano!" he said, nudging Talia over so that his brother could see her, along with his smiling face. "This is Talia. Talia, my older brother, Sanosuke."

Talia waved once more, her smile still warm and inviting. "Hello Sanosuke." She said, moving closer to him. "I promise I'm going to take very good care of you, so you don't have to stay in this hospital forever."

"Hn." The Uchiha shifted his gaze so that it was trained on the ceiling tiles once more.

She blinked, seeming to deflate a bit. "Um…well…we need to do some blood work…so…" she said a bit softly, grabbing a swab and cleaning the area where she would need to use. Since he gave no response, she made sure to do the process quick and clean, and once she was finished she bandaged it up with a gauze and Band-Aid. "Get some rest. I'll be back later." She said, before turning and leaving.

"Well that was rude." Natsumi huffed.

"So."

Hayate huffed as well, looking like his mother in that instant. "So I won't have you treating Talia that way. She's good at what she does, and was nice enough to agree to take care of you when I asked because I want you to have the best. The next time she comes in here to see you, you better apologize to her Sano, or you will suffer the consequences."

Sanosuke scoffed. "And what are you going to do Hayate, hm? It'd be too cruel to hurt an injured patient, let alone your own brother." he said, knowing without looking that he'd made his brother frown slightly.

"I'll hurt you." Akito said, giving his son a stern look. "I don't care if you're injured, I'll hurt you in a place that's healthy."

Natsumi sighed and pat her son's head. "No wonder your single my young love. You're so mean to cute little girls." She said, before heading off. "Be good Sano, I will see you soon."

"Later son." Akito waved, heading out after his wife.

Hayate shook his head, walking over and checking his IV. He picked up his brother's chart and hung it off the foot of the bed. "Be nice." He said, before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

Sanosuke rolled his eyes. He didn't care what they said, he had every right to be a jerk. He sighed, beginning to count all of the black dots on the ceiling. One thing was for sure, his stay here was going to be a living hell.


	2. Difficult Patient

**Restoration**

_Chapter Two_

-Difficult Patient-

Hayate hummed softly to himself as he walked down the hallways of the hospital, nodding to his nurses and greeting them. He didn't stop to talk long to them like he normally would though, as he was in search of one nurse in particular. That was when he spotted her coming out of one of her patient's rooms.

"Talia!" he called out, waving at her with a smile. She returned it, stopping in her walk to let him catch up to her.

"Hello Doctor Hayate." Talia said happily, having to look up at him once he was before her.

His smile widened. "I've been looking everywhere for you." he laughed. "You're one hard woman to track down."

"Just doin' my job." She giggled. "What did you need me for sir?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to check on you and make sure Sano isn't being too much of a jerk." The Uchiha said. "He isn't…is he?"

"Um…" Talia frowned a bit. "Well…he's not _saying_ anything mean…so I suppose he's not being a jerk…" she laughed, though she seemed a bit uncomfortable.

Hayate frowned. "What's he doing?"

The blonde paled, waving him off. "Haha…nothing…nothing…"

"Talia…" he said, all joking and laughter gone from his face and voice for once.

"Hayate." She mocked his tone. "It's my job to take care of the patients. Some tend to be more difficult than others." She shrugged, heading off. "Speaking of which, I'm late to bringing him his lunch." Talia waved. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." She called, heading off to the cafeteria then. She went to the back, waving to the cooks and picking up a trey that had much better food on it than from the normal kitchen.

Once she had Sanosuke's food in hand she headed back up to the floor he was on, going to his room. As usual, she knocked on the door twice before announcing herself and going into the room. "I've brought you some lunch Sanosuke." Talia said as she came in and set it beside his bed. "How are you feeling today?"

"The same." He said, not even sparing her a glance.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She frowned, though she sat down in the chair beside his bed and pulled the food closer so she could feed him. "What would you like first?" she asked. "We have banana pudding with chocolate swirl, steak, medium rare and cut up for you already, asparagus with a balsamic demi-glaze, and seasoned loaded mashed potatoes."

Sanosuke sighed, sliding his gaze over to her. "Can I start sitting up to eat? Laying here while you feed me is really degrading."

She shook her head. "No…I'm sorry. Your spine still needs to rest. Until Hayate says you're allowed to you won't be able to do anything for awhile."

"He's probably just punishing me and making me wait." He grumbled, looking forward once more. "I would like to rotate through bites of steak, asparagus, and then the mashed potatoes…please."

"Okay." She nodded, taking hold of the fork and picking the best piece of steak she could find. She started to feed him then, rotating through the entire meal, though neither of them ever spoke a word, unless Sanosuke wanted a drink.

When he finished his meal, he let Talia walk around and check all of his vitals, being the perfect patient…nearly. As he watched her, he couldn't help but notice for the millionth time how genuinely beautiful she was. And unlike most women, she didn't even flaunt it, nor was she arrogant about her looks. She was like a ray of sunshine in this dreary place, always greeting him with a smile and cheer in her voice. Other than Hayate, and the occasional visits and calls from his family, Talia was his only human interaction here, and sometimes he found himself craving her presence simply so that he was no longer alone. "What made you decide to become a nurse?" he found himself asking out of nowhere.

Talia paused in her actions, a bit surprised he had even spoken to her, since he never had before. She looked over at him, still looking confused. "Oh, well…" she smiled once more as she touched up the flowers in his rooms. "I love helping people."

"But why did you choose a nurse? Don't you ever get tired of the patients?" he wondered.

"Sometimes." She shrugged. "Some are mean and unhelpful and ru-" she paused, her eyes widening slightly, though she faced away. "Just…some are more difficult than others. But nurses are important. Who else could take care of the patients and make sure they recover? Doctors are too busy."

Sanosuke smirked, though she couldn't see it. "You think I'm one of the more difficult patients." He stated. When she turned, looking as if she were going to protest, he held up his good hand. "Don't, I can see the truth in your eyes. You don't like me." he said, though he didn't seem upset by that fact.

"I _never_ said I didn't like you." Talia corrected, raising her finger and wagging it at him. "I like everyone. I simply find you a bit brash and rude…not to mention you never speak, and have a bit of an attitude."

"How am I rude if I never speak?" the Uchiha asked.

She smiled, though she looked off. "Usually…when someone speaks to you and you ignore them it's considered to be rude. And you act as if I was the one who forced you to stay here."

"I may just not have a response to what you're saying." He told her.

Talia shrugged, checking his vitals once more. "You may justify it whichever way you want. But when someone speaks to you, it's nice to say something back." She said with a small smile. "Well Sanosuke, I'll leave you to yourself now. If you need anything, just hit the red button." She told him, fluffing his pillows for him and then leaving with the tray.

Sanosuke smirked once more. It seemed his nurse was feistier than she let on. He would enjoy seeing just how much of that side he could get her to reveal, as it was now his new entertainment. Perhaps his stay wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Hayate found Talia later that day, surprising her as he stopped her in the hall. "What did you do to my brother?" he asked, his eyes wide in confusion.

The blonde blinked, and her amber gaze widened. "I swear I didn't do anything!" she nearly gasped out, though the blush on her face gave her away. She lowered her head in shame. "I know I shouldn't have done it, but I didn't think you'd find out. I just turned up the morphine a teensy bit…you know…so he doesn't give me those judgmental stares."

The Uchiha blinked. "Um…that's not what I meant…" he trailed off, before smirking. "I can't believe you've been drugging him. If my mother finds out, she's going to kill you."

Talia paled, bowing her head in shame. "I'm so sorry. I know it was wrong. Please don't tell her."

"Oh I won't, don't worry." He laughed. "Though I think it's kinda funny. But…what I was talking about was that when I went to go check on him today, he seemed…almost happier. Which is really hard to believe, considering he's been here for a week."

She looked up at him, seeming just as confused as he was. "I don't understand. He was just miserable not three hours ago."

"Well what happened when you went in to check on him?" he asked.

"He said that if this hospital didn't get more than the twenty channels he's getting, the moment he was able to walk he'd come find you and kick your ass for being a cheap ass." She said simply. "When I told him it's not you who funds the hospital, he said I had no idea what I was talking about and how your family owns everything they ever do."

Hayate blinked. "Oh…yeah I kinda do fund the hospital…" he shrugged, before perking up. "But he threatened me and attempted a joke, that's a good sign!" he smiled. "I think he likes you."

Talia blinked, arching a curious brow. "Huh?"

"I just mean that I think you're lifting his spirits a little bit." he said. "You know, making his stay here easier."

"Oh…" she smiled. "Well that's good then. I wish he would show it to me as well that he's feeling better."

He waved her off. "Don't worry about it. I can only tell cause' I'm his brother. Most people only see what he wants them to see." He sighed. "Well, I have to go finish my rounds. The next time you go check on him, lower his morphine dosage to half. If he's not feeling the pain then it will be harder to gauge his recovery rate."

Talia huffed, pouting slightly as she watched her superior chuckle his way off. "But I like him better when he's unconscious." She grumbled under her breath. She sighed, turning around and started down the hall to check her floor and make sure all her patients were taken care of. Though as usual, she saved the most callous one for last.

* * *

Sanosuke watched as Talia messed with his IV and set out his medicine. He took in her profile, noticing that she was reducing his dosage. He smirked. "Hayate finally find out what you've been doing?" he asked.

Talia froze, her complexion paling drastically. "You knew?" she whispered, looking down at him.

"Of course I knew, I'm not a simpleton." He scoffed. "Besides, the amount of time I've spent sleeping the past three days was a little suspicious."

A huge blush spread across her cheeks from being caught. "Well…he didn't find out…I told him…I thought he knew, but he wanted to talk about something else."

"Well, I would just like to say that I knew you were devious." Sanosuke said, seeming to take pleasure in her embarrassment. "Though I didn't think you'd go that far."

"Well maybe if you weren't so annoying." She huffed, going back to her task and making sure everything was at the right levels.

He chuckled, the first one she'd ever heard from him. "You know, you're kind of cute when you're caught off guard.

"I wasn't caught off guard." She pouted. "I was a _tiny_ bit surprised."

"Either way, what I said remains the same." He shrugged, taking his antibiotics from her and popping them in his mouth, swallowing his offered water shortly after that.

She sighed, staying by his bedside. "Well, how are you feeling? Your fever has finally gone down. So you should be sleeping better."

Sanosuke looked up at her. "I feel better. Not as sore as I did on the first day."

"That's good." She finally smiled. "Your muscles must finally be done with the trauma and relaxed."

"So we can take off this stupid body cast?" he asked, allowing hope to slip into his voice.

"Nope." She wagged her finger in the air, as she usually did when she was denying him his freedom. "Sorry to say, but I only got orders on your morphine intake." She smirked.

He pouted. "You know, I think you take pleasure out of denying me."

Talia giggled, unable to stop the smile. "Only a little bit."

The corner of his mouth tilted up slightly. "You're just lucky I can't reach you from here." He said, making a playful swipe at her.

Her eyes widened slightly and she took a hold of his wrist, placing it back down carefully. "Be careful Sanosuke. You can't be moving around too much or you'll do more damage than good." She scolded, leaning over and adjusting him a bit so everything was leveled.

"But that was my good hand." He argued, examining her features since she was closer now.

"I don't care, you need to be careful." She scolded.

Her braid fell over her shoulder and close to his face, and he reached out and lightly touched the golden strands. "There are so few natural blondes in LA…" he trailed off, marveling at the silky feel. "Your hair is beautiful."

Talia blushed, a dark red covering her entire face. "Um…th-thank you." She whispered, pulling away quickly and grabbing a hold of her braid as if she was feeling the softness for herself.

"You're welcome." Sanosuke let his hand fall back to the bed. "If that's all for now, I think I'm going to see if there's anything good on this crappy television."

She blinked, looking to the screen and nodding. "Alright." She said, signing off on his chart before heading towards the door. "I'll be back in four hours for your first sponge bath." Talia called over her shoulder as she left.

He stared at the door with wide eyes. _She_ was going to be the one to give him a sponge bath?! But there wasn't anything to bathe! The only areas that weren't covered were his left arm, right leg, head, and…privates. A small blush came to his face, and instead of grabbing the remote for the television, he picked up his cell phone and hit speed dial for his elder brother. Because he had a question only the most sexually knowledgeable Uchiha could answer.

* * *

Sanosuke couldn't stop tapping his fingers as he watched the clock tick closer and closer to the eight. The big hand seemed to be moving too slowly, and yet too quickly at the same time. He'd talked to his brother hours ago, but everything he said wasn't exactly helpful. He wanted advice on how to keep himself from visibly becoming aroused, in case it became an issue, but all Noriaki would say were tips on how to get Talia to jerk him off, or have sex with him. And that was not what he wanted. At least…not while he was so limited in what he could do.

He sighed, clenching his eyes shut and trying not to feel too anxious. His body slowly tensed as he heard footsteps coming down the hall, and he ignored the minute pain in his back. He quickly grabbed the remote and turned on the television, not even paying attention to the show that was on. So long as he appeared to be watching it, he was okay.

The door opened and Talia walked in, holding a basket full of bath supplies. "I'm back. I hope you're ready for your bath." She smiled, setting the things aside and stopping by his bedside.

Not really, he thought, taking a calming breath. "Sure…" he looked up at her. "I've never had a sponge bath before." He admitted.

"Well…if you would be more comfortable with an elder woman…since…we're so close in age…or your brother offered to do it." She blushed a bit, trying not to fiddle with her hands too much.

He deadpanned. "I would rather experience that car accident again than have Hayate bathe me." he told her. "I was only telling you because I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

She shrugged. "I was only making sure." She said, walking around the bed and beginning to make his IV portable. "I've no problem at all…" she said, beginning to help him into a more upright position. "I do this sort of thing all the time." Talia huffed, moving the bed into the lavish bathroom. "Now we have to take off your clothing." She informed him, beginning to remove what little he had on.

"I really don't think I'm all that dirty…" he said, watching as she carefully pulled his pajama pants off over his cast. He knew it was a lie though. It'd been a whole week. The closest he'd ever gotten to being clean was when his mother came by every other day to wash his hair for him.

"Don't be so embarrassed Sanosuke." Talia laughed, finally pulling off his boxers and revealing his whole form. "I've cleaned tons of penises in my day." She smiled, though it fell quickly, replaced by an embarrassed blush. "Just for work though! I don't mean like…you know…that…" she babbled on.

Sanosuke blushed slightly. "I'm not embarrassed about you seeing me naked. I just don't like people touching me." he lied, though it was partly true.

She blinked, almost looking offended. "Well…I'll make this quick then. I'd hate to make you uncomfortable." She snapped, going and turning on the water for the bath.

He let out an aggravated sigh, allowing himself to fall back onto the mattress, wincing slightly at the shot of pain that went up his back. "You shouldn't move that much." Talia scolded with a huff. She poured soap into the water, before wetting the sponge and towel. Then she went back to his side and began to clean his feet, carefully moving up his legs.

"I know, I know." Sanosuke said, closing his eyes as she washed him. It actually was kind of nice, letting someone else bathe him. And he couldn't help but think of how erotic this was. He tried to stop such thoughts from forming in his mind, but suddenly he was picturing Talia sliding up between his legs and rubbing his thighs, similarly to the way she was washing them now. Slowly and sensually, though she was probably trying to be careful.

His eyes snapped open then as he felt himself become erect, and he was unable to keep from blushing, wondering what her reaction would be and what she would think of him when she saw it. Talia blinked, since she had just about to work on his penis. She had a light blush on her face, though her eyes did not stray from it until she glanced up and met his gaze. "Um…" she swallowed.

"That…was the real reason I was embarrassed…" he admitted softly.

"Um…well…I will be gentle." She promised, wetting the sponge once more and slowly beginning to rub him, but not too hard.

Sanosuke let out a slow breath, trying to remain calm despite the fact that he became even harder at her touch. He was tempted to use one of the lines Noriaki had told him, but he refrained. It was so unprofessional, and he had a feeling it would only offend her. Not to mention he didn't want to have to listen to Hayate's crap when he heard about it.

It was over before he knew it, and soon Talia had moved up to wash his arm. He looked up at her, a slight frown on his face. "I'm sorry…" he said.

"It's okay…" she said, though she didn't meet his gaze. "It's not like it's your choice or anything. Male genitalia is very sensitive."

"…right." he said, looking off and wishing this whole thing could be done already.

The rest of his sponge bath went by smoothly and then once he was dressed, a few other nurses came in and helped switch the sheets, before Sanosuke was finally back in his place, with the TV on. "So…" Talia swallowed. "How do you feel?"

"Well…" Sanosuke pursed his lips. "I guess backed up, would be the right way to describe it. But other than that, it's nice to be clean. Thank you."

"Of course…though…I'm sorry about the back up." She blushed, looking off.

He shook his head to the best of his ability. "Don't be. I'm sure I'm not the only man you've done this to." He smirked, trying to bring light to the situation.

Talia smiled, laughing a bit. "Yes, but you are the first to make me feel bad about it and not disgusted."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, there's a first time for everything. I'll try to better control my thoughts next time to make it easier."

"Sounds like a plan." She smiled, beginning to head out with her things. "Goodnight Sanosuke. Try and get some rest alright? I will see you in the morning." Talia called before closing the door behind her.

"Night." He called after her softly, turning off the television and relaxing into his clean sheets. A sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, his dreams filled with beautiful golden hair and the laugh of an angel.


End file.
